In weddings, everything goes. It’s your job as a wedding planner and event designer to make sure everything goes smoothly and make sure the clients and guests are none the wiser. Your clients are depending on you to have a level head and have answers for the day’s toughest problems. Today, Angela and her lead consultant Alison are sharing one of their more unique experiences. They hope this story lets you see ways you can potentially respond if you ever find yourself in similar, unchartered territory.
There are so many things to consider when planning an event, from vendors to photos to transportation of the bride and groom. And although you’ve likely thought most everything through, sometimes, one missed detail sends the whole thing into a tailspin. In this episode, Angela and her lead consultant Alison share a story about a wedding in which they didn’t have a solid plan for where the family would go for pre-wedding pictures. It resulted in 30-something of them crowding the area where they were setting up for the wedding, and thinking their insight would be helpful on the setup (which it was not).
Weddings are a melting pot of personalities all coming together under a common goal of getting the event off of the ground and sailing smoothly. It’s your job to remain professional at all times, yet there will likely be instances when someone’s personality clashes with your own. In today’s episode, Angela and her lead consultant Alison share a story about a wedding during which one of the venue’s personnel lacked professionalism and how they handled the encounter.
As an event planner and designer, there are many things that are within your control when you’ve planned properly. But what do you do when there are situations that are utterly and completely beyond your scope of influence? Today, Angela and her lead consultant, Alison, will discuss what to do when you can’t control certain outcomes. They share a story of a wedding they once did that included an out-of-order service elevator, missing linens and other missing pieces and how they kept a positive, upbeat attitude through it all.
Destination planners have a particularly challenging — yet fulfilling! — journey of an event from start to finish. Because of this, it’s so incredibly important that you have a firm grasp on all of the details of the day, especially if you’re not familiar with the area. Angela's and her company's lead consultant, Alison, discuss a time they can look back on with laughter now, though it wasn’t funny at the time. This story has so many twists and turns — literally and figuratively! — that you’re bound to learn a thing or two for your next destination event. Tune in!
Destination weddings are some of our favorites — the picturesque views provide such an awesome backdrop to the love of our couples. However, destination weddings also provide an added layer of complexity in terms of logistics. Today, Angela and her company's lead consultant, Alison, discuss why it’s essential to anticipate and be prepared for absolutely any situation while at the destination — the flow of the day depends on it!
Laidback couples are some of the best we’ve worked with — they’re easy going, generally stress-free and they trust us to do our jobs. On the other hand, however, we’ve found these couples take their carefree approach to the wedding day plan, often leaving details to chance on one of the most eventful days of their lives. In this episode, Angela discusses a time when a couple failed to plan and delegate tasks, which left them without previously-arranged transportation from the ceremony to the reception venue.
When their wedding day arrives, brides and grooms are usually beside themselves in excitement — not only is it one of the best days of their lives, but they’ll be surrounded by all of their family and friends for the momentous occasion! And although they’re naturally inclined to pack as much as they can into their wedding day itinerary, overfilling the day with pre-wedding events can create more stress than the lovely couple wants or is prepared for. In today’s episode, Angela and her company’s lead consultant Alison discuss a time when a client’s aunt wanted to throw the couple a brunch the day of the wedding and the chaos that ensued.
New event planners and designers can tend to think all events are the same. Yes, most events may include catering, lighting, music. From collecting donations, managing auctions, coordinating volunteers, registering attendees, communicating with sponsors, and selling tickets at the door, fundraisers are unique and very different from weddings. In this episode, Angela discusses her first fundraiser. We hope you learn from her experience so your first fundraiser runs smoothly.
Does your client want pyrotechnics, live animals, or some other cool, unusual touch at their event? Find out if you need a permit. In this episode of Weddings Unveiled, Angela and her lead consultant Alison share a story of a client who wanted to descend to his party and join the guests by jumping out of a plane and parachuting into the heart of a major city. Sounds crazy, right? Well, listen in to hear how Angela and her team handled this unusual request and helped him make it happen. We hope it reminds you just how much is actually possible.
Clients, especially brides, usually have clear visions for their events, but they rely on their planners to bring their ideas to life. Sometimes, this requires us to recalibrate or adjust their expectations. In this episode of Weddings Unveiled, Angela discusses an experience where a client had great ideas but didn’t fully consider how her outdoor venue would change when the seasons changed in time for the wedding. Listen in as to discover how Angela handled it; you may hear a few ideas worth using if you ever run into a similar situation.
As you continue to grow your skills and build your business, you may get opportunities to plan events for your peers in the event industry. It’s a tremendous honor when other professionals trust you with their weddings and personal events. However, it comes with a unique challenge. In this episode, Angela and her lead consultant Alison share a time when they performed a wedding for a professional designer who wanted to provide all of the decor herself. Check out this new episode to find out how you can deliver for your peers.
Here's a secret for you: People pay planners so someone else can plan their event for them. Crazy idea, right? Well, occasionally even paying clients don’t get (or simply forget) the memo so they jump into the planning process a bit more than they should. Today’s episode discusses an example of a client who wanted to take control of handling room blocks. Unfortunately, they didn’t fully understand the contracts, which ended up causing some trouble. Listen in to today’s episode as Angela shares how to explain hotel commissions to clients and, more importantly, how to respond when clients take on tasks that should be reserved for you as the planner.
Did you know that even the pushiest, picky, high maintenance or micromanaging clients want to let go of control? They really do. However, they’re looking for something to remove their fear of something going wrong. This is where your standard process for communication comes into play. When you have a standard, consistent process you use with clients, it helps establish trust. It also provides helpful boundaries. In this episode, Angela and her lead consultant Alison will share how to communicate and stick to your process so new clients get a great experience (even if they’re ignoring the process themselves).
The wedding and event industry is a lucrative business. As a result, new hotels, restaurants or clubs are opening up their space to host weddings and private events. This means you’ll likely have clients booking venues that you’ve never seen or worked in before. It’s a great opportunity to discover new spaces for future clients. However, it can also cause headaches for you and your time unless you follow the most important rule of using a venue for the first time. Require your team and vendors visit the venue at least once prior to the weekend or day of the event. Working in a new venue for the first time without a site visit is like hoping to fall in love on a blind date; it’s possible, but far from likely. Listen to this episode as Angela shares a story illustrating the importance of site visits.
The longer you work with weddings and events, the more you’ll master the big areas like logistics, design, catering, vendor management, etc. However, it’s impossible to prepare for every situation and every client request, and sometimes that leads to unforeseen mistakes. In this episode of Weddings Unveiled, Angela and her lead consultant Alison Burry discuss how you learn from these mistakes and develop simple solutions so they never happen again.
Whether it’s first your wedding or 100th wedding, every planner and day-of coordinator will encounter something unexpected in the process of putting on an event. Each time, you’ll be forced to answer the question: “How will my team and I respond?” In today’s episode, Angela is again joined by her company’s lead consultant Alison Burry. They’ll share an unexpected situation that they had never previously experienced and how they got through it. We hope you’ll hear a few ideas that you and your team can use when the unexpected occurs because it eventually will.
Everyone knows that adequate preparation is key to executing a successful event. However, what happens when your normal preparation measures don't quite cut it? Knowing when to step into high gear and over prepare can make all the difference in how smoothly everything runs on the big day. Listen as Angela and her co-host Alison discuss a time when a restaurant's first time catering experience taught them a valuable lesson in over preparation that they will never forget.
In an ever-changing world, technology is no exception. From new ways to capture wedding footage to LED dance floors, technology keeps us on our toes and so do the requests of our clients. As an event planner, it is important to educate yourself on what new trends might be coming down the pike and who the right vendor is for those services. In this episode, Angela and her co-host Alison Burry talk about a time when technology almost got the best of them. Listen as they discuss valuable lessons in preparation and partnership, and how their experience can help you stay ahead of the curve.
Successful partnerships are essential in any business, and that is especially true in the world of event planning. With so many venues and vendors to choose from, it is important to consider what each one is capable of and if you can rely on their consistent follow through. Covering these points from the beginning sets you up for a successful event and helps you avoid unnecessary stress. That being said, even with the most trustworthy of venues, you need to know when it’s appropriate to follow-up. In this episode, Angela and her co-host Alison discuss a situation when a new wedding venue didn't know what they didn't know until it was almost too late. Listen to the full episode to hear how knowing the right time to follow-up helped them avoid a major obstacle on their client’s big day.
When the big day rolls around, emotions are running high and it is easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the to-do list. In this episode, Angela shares ways to counter these challenges by making sure clients remain stress-free during their big event. The good news is this isn’t hard to do when you have formed a relationship of trust with your client and have created an environment of flexibility. Listen as Angela and her co-host Alison discuss an occasion when maintaining a flexible environment was essential to making a bride’s special day a little more stress-free.
There is nothing better than being able to do what you love for the people you love. As Angela says throughout this episode, you can pick your clients but you can’t pick your family. Being able to successfully walk the line between personal relationships and professionalism is essential when planning a memorable event for those closest to you. It can definitely be a challenge to keep that “I know best” attitude at bay, but take a listen as Angela shares an experience when doing just that made for an unforgettable night for her family.
In the world of event planning, bumps in the road and last minute changes are unavoidable. The trick in planning a successful event is knowing how to use those challenges to your advantage. In this episode, Angela and her co-host Alison discuss a situation when unexpected challenges taught them the importance of approaching each situation with understanding, the value of over communicating, and what a difference it can make to have a “go with the flow” type of attitude. Take a listen to get the full story.
In this episode, Angela shares the importance of making sure your clients are the perfect fit for you and your team. Fortunately, the process is easy when honesty is at the heart of your planning and the right boundaries are in place. Listen as Angela and her co-host Alison discuss a few occasions when saying no was the right choice.
In this episode, Angela shares how easy it is to miscommunicate with your team, vendors, and clients when you’re not using the same terminology. Luckily, the solution isn’t complicated; it just requires consistency and diligence. Listen as Angela and her co-host Alison discuss why you should and how you can create a common language with your team, vendors, and clients.